Kudos to David DuBou & Anthony Lamas

There was an excellent article in today's "Courier- Journal" on wine and food pairings. Although several experts were mentioned, I know David and Anthony better then the other VIPs and thus I want to give a "shout out" to these two gracious gentlemen.

Yes, I returned Monday for a couple of weeks after a wonderful month in Wisconsin where I drank copious amounts of wine and rum and attended concerts performed by Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, KISS, Whitesnake, Billy Squier, Loverboy, and the Bo Deans at Milwaukee's famed Summerfest music festival.

Milwaukee is only a six hour drive from the "Ville," and I heartily recommend it as a week-end destination. Lake Michigan is glorious in the summer and the Calatrava designed art museum anchors the fabulous lake front. Every week-end has countless festivals, concerts, and happenings and good fishing lakes are less then twenty minutes from the city. Development seems to be increasing and restauranteurs, I think Milwaukee and its suburbs would be prime territory for some new eating places and Louisville could certainly teach Milwaukee a thing or two about good eating.

I hope to see some of you around and about in the next two weeks before I return to Wisconsin.

Take care.

I know there's a forum for travel, but since you're on the subject of Milwaukee here...

I'll be in Milwaukee for the weekend in two weeks to see a concert with friends and family. Two are from Indy, two are from Chicago, so I can't imagine anyone has the goods on where to go, but refined pallets all around! We're staying at a decent hotel (probably a brand, but not by name) in the downtown area, but I can't recall the name right now. Where should we go, Phil??? They will listen to me on this if I tell them the advice came from Hotbytes.

Jackie,
Wow, I do need to know exactly what you are looking for, but without any parameters, here goes:

Fine Dining by a James Beard Award winner - Sanfords - Chef Sandy D'Amato

Hamburgers in a tavern setting - Sobelmans on St. Paul Street

Supper Club creating Steaks, Chicken, and great food at dynamite prices - Jackson Grill - Chef Jimmy Jackson at 37th and Mitchell

Best Bar food over looking the Riverwalk Boardwalk in the Third Ward - Water Buffalo

Best pizza - The original Zaffiros on Farwell

Serbian food in a Milwaukee landmark - The Three Brothers

Best Friday Fish Fry - A Milwaukee experience - Serb Hall

A lovely French Restaurant with another James Beard nominee - Lake Park Bistro

Best French bistro is Coquette Cafe run by the aforementioned Sandy D'Amato

Excellent small plates with a global approach - La Merenda on National Ave

Best trendy bar food and ambiance in the "Proof" vein - Elsa's on the Park

The best Italian food in the Midwest in my opinion - Trattoria Stefanos in Sheboygan

If you want to know about some good drinking holes, let me know. I hope this helps.

Hey, that's awesome! I got more information a while ago from my brother. He can't remember the name of the hotel we're staying either, but it is downtown. We're going to Alpine Valley for the concert which I gather is about an hour away, so there's that. I'd say anything downtown or on the way. Considering your love for places like Seviche and Proof (which everyone in my party happens to love and are well aquainted with because they're from Louisville), that's kind of the mark I was trying to hit. The small plates on National Ave. and the trendy bar food in the vein of "Proof" places you mentioned sound like good options if they're convenient enough. The one issue that I now realize we're facing is that the concert is at 7pm, so we'll need a place that opens by at least 4, if not earlier.

Thanks for the time you put in to respond. I was given the go ahead to plan all things food in Milwaukee, so we'll need a place for breakfast as well before we drive south back to Chicago.

Really, I can't thank you enough, Phil. I'm happy to have had the honor to meet you and read all of your cool posts on the forum. Hope you're having a great time in Louisville right now!

Jackie

Alpine Valley is in the boonies. Have you been there before? Are you going to see Dave Matthews by any chance?

Breakfast - This is not big in Milwaukee because everyone wakes up with a hangover. However, these are some suggestions:
Iron Horse Hotel - New, cool, hip and a fun place in the Fifth Ward

Beans and Barley - Where the "tree huggers" go.

George Webbs- Lousy food but a Milwaukee institution. People go before they settle in for the night. Thus, breakfast for Wisconsinites.

Metro Bar and Cafe - Cool Hotel on Milwaukee Street - Milwaukee's young and trendoid street.

Miss Katie's Diner - not great food but another Milwaukee institution.

As I said, breakfast is not an important meal in Milwaukee because the bars close at 2:00 A.M. People grab a bite after the bars close, head home and sleep it off. They wake up Saturday or Sunday at around 11:00 or noon and grab the "hair of the dog" some place and get started again.

Where are you staying and how many nights will you be in the "Cream City?"

Phil

So I've been trying to remember the name of the Blackstone Hotel ~ which is where we're staying in Chicago ~ thinking it's the place we're staying in Milwaukee. There we'll actually be staying at an "H" Hotel (Hyatt or Hilton), but it's definitely downtown. And no - I've never been to the Alpine before. Is it cool? No matter - I'm not too picky.

And lord no, I'm not going to see Dave Matthews! It's bad enough that I have to admit to travelling all the way to Milwaukee to see Coldplay (that's who we're going to see). The others are very stoked about it. I'm sure it'll be a fine concert, but I'm on board for the company and fun travel.

So I'll print this list of suggestions, pick a couple, and thank you yet again, you've been more than considerate. I'll send you a PM to tell you how they work out. You're the juice! (But not like the O Juice - A Lamas and I could tell YOU all about the O Juice).

Mucho Amore,
Jackie